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Glory of Heracles Creators Explain Their New Nintendo DS RPG
One of Nintendo’s more low-key releases of 2010 is Glory of Heracles, released last week in North America for the Nintendo DS. The Greek-themed role-playing game is new user friendlier than most and the first in the series to come stateside. I’ve been playing Glory of Heracles over the course of the past week, a…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
EA Sports Confirms FIFA World Cup 2010
EA Sports made its World Cup edition of FIFA 10 official today, although the title was entirely expected and its release date was telegraphed by retailers before Christmas. The game, for Xbox 360 and PS3, will feature all 199 countries that competed in the World Cup qualification stage and allow players to take any of…
By Owen Good Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Which Legend of Zelda Game Was Inspired By Twin Peaks?
It may not be obvious, but The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was influenced by the work of director David Lynch, according to longtime series creators Takashi Tezuka and Eiji Aonuma, citing Twin Peaks as inspiration for the 1993 game. No, it didn’t feature high school murders, treatises on pies, or the bizarre cast of…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
“Piece Walker” Meaning Revealed
The meaning behind Konami’s “Piece Walker” teaser from last month was revealed today. And it’s not a portal, nor a demo or a new project. It’s just some jigsaw puzzle. Well, the puzzle hasn’t launched just yet, but that’s what it’ll be, likely a Flash game. It gets going at 3 p.m. Thursday (Japan time,…
By Owen Good Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Is Lost Planet 2 Doing Marcus Fenix Right?
Gears of War’s Marcus Fenix and hetero life companion Dominic Santiago are getting the Lost Planet 2 treatment, but is Capcom’s MT-Framework 2.0 treating them right? Let’s compare! First off, we’re taking an image from a brief trailer shown during the announcement of the Gears guys’ cameo in Lost Planet 2, so until we get…
By Mike Fahey Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Jailbreak Hacker Releases His PS3 Exploit To The Public
George Hotz, the man responsible for “jailbreaking” the iPhone platform, has released the “coveted” PlayStation 3 exploit he announced last week, the one that means the console is essentially “hacked.” So begins the cycle of homebrew developers finding new ways to run custom code on the PS3 and Sony Computer Entertainment engineers attempting to squash…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
First Look At Platinum Games’ New Title This Thursday On GTTV
Platinum Games, creators of Bayonetta and MadWorld (and Infinite Space!), are going to reveal their fourth and still unannounced game this Thursday on GameTrailers TV. But that’s not all. Sure, the draw of Platinum’s follow-up to Bayonetta will be one reason to tune in. Will Platinum Games announce a sequel or spin-off to Bayonetta so…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
How Madden is Raising a New Generation of Football Player
When Denver’s Brandon Stokely caught a game-winning pass against Cincinnati earlier this year, he veered parallel to the goal line en route to the end zone, to both burn time and celebrate. He told Wired it was a Madden-inspired move. It’s one of the more jaw-dropping anecdotal instances of how sports video games – specifically…
By Owen Good Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Think of the Kittens
To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Tim Tams, Mmmmm Tim Tams No, not really. While I’m intrigued by the idea of an e-reader that will do other things, I’m highly suspicious that Apple’s rumored tablet will be very pricey. Also, every time I buy an Apple product god kills a kitten. Well, maybe god just maims…
By Brian Crecente Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Rumor: Red 5 Studios Goes Down, Hit By Layoffs
Red 5 Studios may never complete its unannounced MMO. The Irvine, California based developer founded by ex-Blizzard staffers, has been hit by substantial layoffs, sources tell Kotaku, leaving it with a “skeleton crew” and an abandoned massively multiplayer online shooter. According to sources who wished to remain anonymous, Red 5 is now down to about…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Upper-Crust Games Satire Features Glaring Continuity Error
Disney’s forthcoming, darker reboot of Mickey Mouse caught the eye of the Shouts & Murmurs satire column in this week’s New Yorker, the second time in three months the highbrow mag has deigned to poke fun with a video-game purpose. Major continuity error though: “When Mickey is shown starving to death after the nuclear disaster,…
By Owen Good Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Could Apple’s Tablet Use Natal-Like Technology?
The most intriguing thing about Apple’s rumored tablet isn’t its form factor or potential to reinvigorate print media, it’s the one piece of information no one seems to know: How will we interact with it. If the New York Times knows what they’re talking about, and they should, then interaction with the tablet will be…
By Brian Crecente Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Report: Nintendo Said “No, Thank You” To Project Natal Tech
Nintendo executives were reportedly given the option to snatch up the technology that powers Microsoft’s controller-free Project Natal but passed, worried that the camera tech was too expensive and not responsive enough for the Wii maker. CVG cites an anonymous source at Nintendo—specifically “a top insider (and we mean top insider)”—as saying that Nintendo bossman…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Mass Effect 2 Has DLC And Helmet Issues
The BioWare forums are being flooded with fan outcry over non-working downloadable content codes, Cerberus Network congestion, and helmet issues. If you’ve got problems, we have a few solutions, courtesy of BioWare’s Chris Priestly. The gaming masses attempting to take their first steps in Mass Effect 2 for the Xbox 360 and PC today have…
By Mike Fahey Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
U.S. Navy: Video Games Improve Brains, “Fluid Intelligence”
The cognitive effects of certain video-game-style activities are not only impressive but can last a couple of years, a researcher for the Navy recently explained. If gamers don’t want to believe that video games have an effect on them — at least any effect that will cause them to do antisocial things — will they…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Scenes From A Dragon Quest Bar
Square Enix has made good on its promise to open a Dragon Quest themed restaurant in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, as proven by new photos of “Luida’s Bar” that offer a sneak peek at cosplaying staffers and Slime-themed foods. Whether you’re interested in ogling Japanese ladies in Dragon Quest costumes or simply want to see if…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Star Trek Online Beta Ends With A Klingon Invasion
With the game’s launch just around the corner, the Star Trek Online beta test ends today as many things have before it – with a large-scale invasion by the Klingons. The Star Trek Online beta test is going out on a high note, as massive Klingon fleet masses near Qo’noS, preparing to enter Federation space.…
By Mike Fahey Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
First Apple Tablet Game Officially Announced [UPDATE]
Stand Alone Inc, maker of a Crosswords program for the iPhone, claimed today that it is also making a version of its game for the unannounced Apple tablet computer or, as they call it, the iPad. In a press release bearing no official Apple seal of approval but plenty of forward thinking, Stand Alone president…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Canabalt Gets Mini-Soundtracked, Ringtoned
Stylish indie platformer Canabalt, which we loved as a Flash game and as an iPhone app, is now lovable in another form—a mini-soundtrack. If having access to the game via your iPhone or iPod Touch wasn’t enough, you can now purchase Daniel Baranowsky’s soundtrack to the excellent one-button platformer for constant listening. You can also…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 26, 2010 - Uncategorized
Record of Agarest War’s Really Naughty Limited Edition Lives Up To Its Name
Breast-shaped mouse pads make their Western debut, along with several other naughty items in Record of Agarest War’s Really Naughty Limited Edition for the Xbox 360, announced today with a slightly NSFW instructional video, in case instinct doesn’t take over. There can be no doubt what the marketing angle for Aksys’ Record of Agarest War…
By Mike Fahey Published January 26, 2010